For a while it was talked about. There was a worldwide population control movement that was active throughout the 1960's and 70's, driving many reproductive health and family planning programs. In the 80's, tension grew between population control advocates and women's heath activists who advanced women's reproductive rights as part of a human rights based approach. Soon there was a growing opposition to the narrow population control focus which led to a significant change in population control policies in the early 90's.
With the populations of China and India over the one billion mark, and dwindling populations such as Germany and Russian giving government incentives to reproduce, the time for such coyness is long past. With several generations of population growth, are we now heading toward a Malthusian catastrophe? In 1798, Thomas Malthus published An Essay on the Principle of Population, in which he wrote:
"The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race. The vices of mankind are active and able ministers of depopulation. They are the precursors in the great army of destruction, and often finish the dreadful work themselves. But should they fail in this war of extermination, sickly seasons, epidemics, pestilence, and plague advance in terrific array, and sweep off their thousands and tens of thousands. Should success be still incomplete, gigantic inevitable famine stalks in the rear, and with one mighty blow levels the population with the food of the world".
Despite what many people say, food production is not the main problem resulting from too many people. The real problem is the utilisation of the world's finite resources - metals, fuels and so forth. Conserving our food and natural resources will not only require changes in the techniques of natural resource management but a change in the way human values and mortality are perceived. Both task are daunting. In addition to the natural systems, natural resource management also has to manage various stakeholders and their interests, policies, politics, geographical boundaries, economic implications and the list goes on. It is very difficult to satisfy all aspects at the same time. This results in conflicting situations. Controlling people's personal decisions on how many children they want to have is a complicated and touchy issue as well. Educating young girls is extremely important. Tim Wirth, the president of the United Nations Foundation, says that when women in the poorest countries are given increase access to educational opportunities, birth rates decline. Improved assess to birth control more family planning programs could help also.
Ultimately, unless mankind starts to control its population, the world's resources will be unable to sustain that population. The best way too take action for population control is to bring attention to the problem. Enough attention can lay the ground work for a long lasting population control movement.
The time to start talking and debating and planning is now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_population_control
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Malthus
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